And Toronto's Brandon "Sugar" Sugden was battling once again to reach his last night -- one punch at a time.

Skating out on the ice in a New York Islanders uniform against the Philadelphia Flyers in an NHL pre-season game at the John Labatt Centre was round one.

Round two was tussling on the ice with one of the Flyers' tough guys, Matt Clackson. The fact that he got the decision he hopes he'll get a crack at round three. Which ferocious fighter will that be?

It's sure not an easy way to get to the promised land, having to scrap with the NHL's meanest customers.

"Sugar" knows it's the only way he will get to live his dream of being able to say he was an NHL player.

Needless to say, in the second period, when he was trading blows with Clackson, he was right where he wanted to be. The music from Rocky blaring in the background and the fans screaming with excitement.

Off the ice, the 6-foot-4, former Maple Leafs draft pick, is the quiet, shy type. Not so on the ice, which might explain with each fist delivered and each fist taken, the smile on his face got bigger.

"It's our job as part of a team," he said.

The ultimate would be to appear in a regular NHL season game. Time will tell if that chapter to this already inspirational story will be written.

This dream is not just his alone. Sitting in the upper deck are the people who are sharing it with him -- and in one case fighting, too.

"I don't know who is more nervous," said his dad, Travis.

Brandon's wife Crystal, their 12-year-old son Anthony, 18-month-old son Beau and his mom Jonna were jittery, too, since Brandon's last serious professional game was in November of 2006 with the AHL's Syracuse Crunch.

"Just seeing him out there playing in an NHL uniform is awesome," said Travis Sugden, 64, who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer but has a pact that he will battle with everything he has to stick around while his son tries to earn a shot at the big time. The challenge is formidable for both. And both are up to it.

In Brandon's case, he's a 30-year-old career minor league enforcer who has never played in a regular NHL game. He had all but given up on ever achieving it until this summer, when he received a phone call from the New York Islanders offering him a shot at being the team's tough guy.

But there was a catch: He had filed retirement papers and had come home to Toronto to help with the family business, which meant he could not play any professional hockey for at least one year before being permitted to apply for re-instatement. He did not realize playing on a per game pay basis in a weekend semi-pro fight league in Quebec would prohibit him going to camp.

Originally four teams did not agree to re-instate him but had a change of heart after hearing the story and receiving a call from deputy commissioner Bill Daly.

It was almost stuff of movie scripts since Sugden was once a London Knight. "We used to make this trip every Friday night," said Travis. "We were glad to make it this time."

For his part, Brandon said he's just so happy he's getting a chance to make this team.

"It has been so amazing," he said of the experience of attending the New York Islanders' training camp. "Everybody has treated me so well."

Before the game, he acknowledged he too was tense because the NHL is a speed game and full of guys who can fly.

"To be honest, fighting is the easy part," he laughed. "It's the carrying the puck part I worry about it."

Afterward, he looked at me and said "that's not the Quebec league out there, that's for sure."

All things considered, he looked pretty good, throwing his body around and making his presence known.

Before a crowd of 7,706, many of his shifts were against the Flyers' top line of Jeff Carter, Scottie Upshall and Mike Knuble and he hung in with a bunch of river skaters nicely.

"As I told him, you can't just fight in this league," said Islander's coach Scott Gordon. "You have to be able to play. Brandon can play and just has to get his legs back."

It's hard to say what will happen next. If nothing else magical happens, it must be said that this was his 18-month-old's first time at an NHL game. And his dad was in it.

The next phase of this story is unknown. One thing for sure, Brandon Sugden vows he will continue to fight. And so does his dad Travis.

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